Stephen’s Defense

2 ¶ And he said°, “Hear° me, abrethren°° and fathers°! bThe God° of glory°cappeared° to our father° Abraham° when he was in Mesopotamia°, before° he lived° in IHaran°,
3 and said° to him, ‘aLEAVE°YOUR COUNTRY°AND YOUR RELATIVES°, AND COME°INTO THE LAND°THAT I WILL SHOW°YOU.’
4aThen° he left° the land° of the Chaldeans° and settled° in IHaran°. bFrom there°, after° his father° died°, [God] had him move° to this° country° in which° you are now° living°.
5 But He gave° him no° inheritance° in it, not even° a foot° of ground°, and [yet], even when he had no° child°, aHe promised° that HE WOULD GIVE°IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION°, AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS°AFTER°HIM.
6 But aGod° spoke° to this° effect°, that his DESCENDANTS°WOULD BE ALIENS°IN A FOREIGN°LAND°, AND THAT THEY WOULDIBE ENSLAVED°AND MISTREATED°FOR FOUR°HUNDRED°YEARS°.
7 ‘AND WHATEVER°°NATION°TO WHICH°THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE° I MYSELF°WILL JUDGE°,’ said° God°, ‘ANDaAFTER°THAT THEY WILL COME°OUT ANDISERVE° ME IN THIS°PLACE°.’
8 And He agave° him Ithe covenant° of circumcision°; and so°b[Abraham] became° the father° of Isaac°, and circumcised° him on the eighth° day°; and cIsaac° [became the father of] Jacob°, and dJacob° [of] the twelve°epatriarchs°.

9 ¶ “The patriarchs°abecame jealous° of Joseph° and sold° him into Egypt°. [Yet] God° was with him,
10 and rescued° him from all° his afflictions°, and agranted° him favor° and wisdom° in the sight° of Pharaoh°, king° of Egypt°, and he made° him governor° over° Egypt° and all° his household°.

11 ¶ “Now°aa famine° came° over° all° Egypt° and Canaan°, and great° affliction° [with it], and our fathers°Icould find° no° food°.
12 But awhen Jacob° heard° that there was grain° in Egypt°, he sent° our fathers° [there] the first° time°.
13 On the second° [visit] aJoseph°Imade° himself known° to his brothers°, and bJoseph’s° family° was disclosed° to Pharaoh°.
14 Then°aJoseph° sent° [word] and invited° Jacob° his father° and all° his relatives° to come to him, bseventy-five°°Icpersons° [in all].
15 And aJacob° went° down° to Egypt° and [there] he and our fathers° died°.
16 [From there] they were removed° to IaShechem° and laid° in the tomb° which° Abraham° had purchased° for a sum° of money° from the sons° of IIHamor° in IShechem°.

17 ¶ “But as the atime° of the promise° was approaching° which° God° had assured° to Abraham°, bthe people° increased° and multiplied° in Egypt°,
18 until°aTHERE AROSE°ANOTHER°KING°OVER° EGYPT°WHO°KNEW°NOTHING°ABOUT° JOSEPH°.
19 It was he who took°ashrewd° advantage° of our race° and mistreated° our fathers° so that they would Ibexpose°° their infants° and they would not survive°.
20 It was at this° time° that aMoses° was born°; and he was lovely°Iin the sight° of God°, and he was nurtured° three° months° in his father’s° home°.
21 And after he had been set° outside°, aPharaoh’s° daughter°Itook° him away° and nurtured° him as her own° son°.
22 Moses° was educated° in all°athe learning° of the Egyptians°, and he was a man° of power° in words° and deeds°.
23 But when° he was approaching° the age° of forty°, ait entered° his Imind° to visit° his brethren°, the sons° of Israel°.
24 And when he saw° one° [of them] being treated° unjustly°, he defended° him and took° vengeance° for the oppressed° by striking° down° the Egyptian°.
25 And he supposed° that his brethren° understood° that God° was granting° them Ideliverance°IIthrough° him, but they did not understand°.
26aOn the following° day° he appeared° to them as they were fighting° together°, and he tried to reconcile° them in peace°, saying°, ‘Men°, you are brethren°, why°° do you injure° one° another°?’
27 But the one who was injuring° his neighbor° pushed° him away°, saying°, ‘aWHO°MADE°YOU A RULER°AND JUDGE°OVER°US?
28aYOU DO NOT MEAN°TO KILL°ME AS YOU KILLED°THE EGYPTIAN°YESTERDAY°, DO YOU?’
29 At this° remark°, aMOSES°FLED°AND BECAME°AN ALIEN°IN THE LAND°OFIMIDIAN°, where° he bbecame° the father° of two° sons°.

30 ¶ “After forty° years° had passed°, aAN ANGEL°APPEARED°TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS°OF MOUNT° Sinai°, IN THE FLAME°OF A BURNING°THORN°BUSH°.
31 When Moses° saw° it, he marveled° at the sight°; and as he approached° to look° [more] closely°, there came° the voice° of the Lord°:
32 ‘aI AM THE GOD°OF YOUR FATHERS°, THE GOD°OF ABRAHAM°AND ISAAC°AND JACOB°.’ Moses° shook° with fear° and would not venture° to look°.
33aBUT THE LORD°SAID°TO HIM, ‘bTAKE°OFF°THE SANDALS°FROM YOUR FEET°, FOR THE PLACE°ON WHICH°YOU ARE STANDING°IS HOLY°GROUND°.
34aI HAVE CERTAINLY°SEEN°THE OPPRESSION°OF MY PEOPLE°IN EGYPT°AND HAVE HEARD°THEIR GROANS°, AND I HAVE COME°DOWN°TO RESCUE°THEM; IbCOME°NOW°, AND I WILL SEND°YOU TO EGYPT°.’

35 ¶ “This° Moses° whom° they adisowned°, saying°, ‘WHO°MADE°YOU A RULER°AND A JUDGE°?’ is the one° whom° God°Isent° [to be] both° a ruler° and a deliverer° with the IIhelp° of the angel° who appeared° to him in the thorn° bush°.
36aThis° man° led° them out, performing°bwonders° and Isigns° in the land° of Egypt° and in the Red° Sea° and in the cwilderness° for forty° years°.
37 This° is the Moses° who said° to the sons° of Israel°, ‘aGOD°WILL RAISE°UP FOR YOU A PROPHET°ILIKE°ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN°.’
38 This° is the one who was in athe Icongregation° in the wilderness° together° with bthe angel° who was speaking° to him on Mount° Sinai°, and [who was] with our fathers°; and he received°cliving°doracles° to pass° on to you.
39 Our fathers° were unwilling°° to be obedient° to him, but arepudiated° him and in their hearts° turned° back° to Egypt°,
40aSAYING°TO AARON°, ‘MAKE°FOR US GODS°WHO°WILL GO°BEFORE°US; FOR THIS° MOSES°WHO°LED°US OUT OF THE LAND°OF EGYPT°WE DO NOT KNOW°WHAT°HAPPENED°TO HIM.’
41IAt that time°athey made° a IIcalf° and brought° a sacrifice° to the idol°, and were rejoicing° in bthe works° of their hands°.
42 But God°aturned° away° and delivered° them up to Iserve° the IIhost° of heaven°; as it is written° in the book° of the prophets°, ‘bIT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED°VICTIMS°AND SACRIFICES°cFORTY°YEARS°IN THE WILDERNESS°, WAS IT, O HOUSE°OF ISRAEL°?
43aYOU ALSO°TOOK°ALONG THE TABERNACLE°OF MOLOCH°AND THE STAR°OF THE GOD°IROMPHA°, THE IMAGES°WHICH°YOU MADE°TO WORSHIP°. I ALSO°WILL REMOVE°YOU BEYOND° BABYLON°.’

44 ¶ “Our fathers° had°athe tabernacle° of testimony° in the wilderness°, just° as He who spoke° to Moses° directed° [him] to make° it baccording° to the pattern° which° he had seen°.
45 And having received° it in their turn°, our fathers°abrought° it in with IJoshua° upon dispossessing° the IInations° whom° God° drove° out before°° our fathers°, until° the time° of David°.
46a[David] found° favor° in God’s° sight°, and basked° that he might find° a dwelling° place° for the IGod° of Jacob°.
47 But it was aSolomon° who built° a house° for Him.
48 However°, athe Most° High° does not dwell° in [houses] made° by [human] hands°; as the prophet° says°:
49 ‘aHEAVEN°IS MY THRONE°, AND EARTH°IS THE FOOTSTOOL°OF MY FEET°; WHAT°KIND°OF HOUSE°WILL YOU BUILD°FOR ME?’ says° the Lord°, ‘OR°WHAT°PLACE°IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE°?
50 ‘aWAS IT NOT MY HAND°WHICH MADE°ALL°THESE°THINGS°?’

51 ¶ “You men who are astiff-necked° and uncircumcised° in heart° and ears° are always° resisting° the Holy° Spirit°; you are doing just° as your fathers° did.
52aWhich° one° of the prophets° did your fathers° not persecute°? They killed° those° who had previously° announced° the coming° of bthe Righteous° One°, whose° betrayers° and murderers°cyou have now° become°;
53 you who° received° the law° as aordained° by angels°, and [yet] did not keep° it.”

Stephen Put to Death

54 ¶ Now° when they heard° this°, they were acut° to the quick°, and they [began] gnashing° their teeth° at him.
55 But being°afull° of the Holy° Spirit°, he bgazed° intently° into heaven° and saw° the glory° of God°, and Jesus° standing°cat the right° hand° of God°;
56 and he said°, “Behold°, I see° the aheavens° opened° up and bthe Son° of Man° standing° at the right° hand° of God°.”
57 But they cried° out with a loud° voice°, and covered° their ears° and rushed° at him with one° impulse°.
58 When they had adriven° him out of the city°, they [began] stoning° [him]; and bthe witnesses°claid° aside° their robes° at the feet° of da young° man° named° Saul°.
59 They went° on stoning° Stephen° as he acalled° on [the Lord] and said°, “Lord° Jesus°, receive° my spirit°!”
60 Then°afalling° on his knees°, he cried° out with a loud° voice°, “Lord°, bdo not hold° this° sin° against them!” Having said° this°, he Icfell° asleep°.